Ipsos acquires Chinese health research business

The acquisition will strengthen Ipsos China’s pharmaceutical insights business and its wider healthcare insights work.

Shanghai Focus RX Research’s 22 employees will join Ipsos Healthcare Insights, with Frank Ma, chief executive and founder at Shanghai Focus RX Research, leading the new business team.

Shanghai Focus RX Research was set up in 2008 and focuses on the prescription drugs insight market, including policy and environment research, market expansion, product strategy research, marketing mix research and performance evaluation.

Ben Page, chief executive at Ipsos, said: “The healthcare sector is one of our main priorities. It is an expanding market in undergoing transformation and represents a significant growth opportunity for Ipsos.

“With Shanghai Focus RX Research expertise, we will accelerate and continue the expansion of our core offer and added-value services in a key market in China.”

Lifeng Liu, chairman and chief executive officer at Ipsos in Greater China, said: “Frank Ma is an influential figure in the Chinese RX research market and leads a respected company.

“I look forward to working with Frank and his team to further strengthen Ipsos’ position in the pharmaceutical research market in China.”

Ma added: “We are delighted to be joining the Ipsos Group. The experienced Focus RX team, armed with Ipsos’ global healthcare reach and knowledge, will be able to provide better service and deeper insights to our clients and will certainly make a significant contribution to the development of the healthcare market research in China.”